Collapsible lug box



July 24, 1934. G E. HARRISON 1,967,506

COLLAPS IBLE LUG BOX Filed Jan. 30, 1933 I j INVENTOR C E. H'llli (SUIJ i BY Q ,m w I 3 ATTOBI' TEY Patented July 24, 1934 COLLAPSIBLE LUG BOX George E. Harrison, Wheatland, Calif.

Application January 30,

193-3. Serial No. 654,128

Claims. (01'. 220-43) 7 This invention relates to fruit boxes of the type known in this State and the west generally as lugboxzas, and which are used to convey certain kinds of fruit and vegetables from the orchards and fields to the canneries or to the grading and packing houses. Such boxes at present are made of wood of a fairly heavy and substantial character since they are subjected to hard service and are intended to be used over and over again indefinitely. Boxes of this character however are objectionable and their use disadvantageous for the reason that they are bulky and when empty occupy an excessive amount of space on the truck or other vehicle byv which they are 1 1 returned from the cannery etc. to the orchard. Also, if left lying in-the open as they frequently are, they are sometimes stolen by tramps and the like and broken up for fuel or kindling. This, in addition to the natural deterioration of a 2 wooden box, places a somewhat heavy burden for upkeep and overhead expense on the vorchardist or other owner of the boxes.

The principal object of my invention is to avoid these objectionable features by providing a box which cannot bend, which is practicallynondestructible, and which can be collapsed-so as to occupy the minimum of space. The latter feature is especially advantageous in. that itpermits a great number of boxes to be stacked when empty on a truck etc. without the load reaching. to a great height. This in turn-{permits the truck to be driven between. or under the trees in the orchard, and the boxes to be discharged at the points needed. This is something which usually cannot be done with the present type of box since a full load'on a truck interferes with the low branches of the trees. The boxes must therefore be discharged at the entrance to the orchard or in some other clear space and carried piecemeal by hand from such point of discharge to the pointof use. This is a feature of expense and loss of time in the present operations which I eliminate with my improved box. The difference in size between my box when collapsed 'or folded and that of the ordinary non-collapsible box is'so great that five folded boxes may be placed in the space. occupied by one ordinary box.

Anotherv advantage of my box is that While it has ample strength to resist crushing loads, as when a number of loaded boxes are disposed in stacked relation, the walls are so thin that a box having a carrying capacity equal to that of the ordinary wooden box is sufiiciently small in external diameter to allow for an extra row of boxes i being placed on the floor of a truck of a given length, thus further increasing the useful load carrying, The box may be quickly and easily openedup -toan operative position and as quickly folded. lShe advantages of the box as above outlined are so great that even if the initial cost is. to; greater the ultimate cost to the owner is less than with the present type of box, since upkeep and-loss will be reduced to a minimum and return transportation costs, which are based largely on volvrne of space occupied are greatly reduced.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawing similar characters of reference indicate correspondingv parts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the box unfolded andready forusel Fig. 2 is a similar-view showing the sides folded.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the box completely folded.

Fig. 4 is-a fragmentary longitudinal section takenon the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. his a diagrammatic elevationof a number. of stacked and folded boxes.

Referringnow more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawing, the box comprises a sheetmetal bottom 1' formed 'withshort upstanding end walls 2 at its ends. The edges o'f the members 1' and '2 are bound with a stifi continuous rod -3 secured in place by spaced sleeves 4 formed on said" members, so that the latter together with the rod form a very rigid unit.

The ends 5' proper of the box when unfolded 90 project upwardly from the walls 2' and are hingedly connected to the adjacent portions of the rod 3 by sleeves 6 formed on said ends andengaging the rod between the corresponding sleeves 4;. This hinge mounting allows the ends to turn from a vertical position to ahorizontal position in overhanging relation to the bottom. The ends are formed with flanges [along the top and sides to stiffen the same, "said flangesprojecting inwardly of the box or toward the' opposite ends. Each top flange 7 is formed with a short depending flange 8 along its inner edge and which extends-from side to. side thereof. The widthof theflanges 7 approximates the height of the rigid end walls 2 so that when the ends are foldedover, with the flanges resting on the parts below, they will lie substantially horizontal. The above construction of the ends provides a relatively wide supporting surface for engagement with the bottom of a superimposed box and gives the ends 110 in Fig. 5.

the necessary rigidity to withstand collapse from any load likely to be supported. The ends near the top are formed with hand recesses 9 of conventional form whereby the box may be conveniently lifted.

The sides 10 of the box are hingedly connected to the rod 3 along the sides of the bottom by integral sleeves 11 engaging the rod between the corresponding sleeves 4. v The height of the sides is such that when unfolded or upstanding the upper edges are substantially alined with the lower edges of the end flanges 8 as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The sides extend practically the full length of the bottom between the members 2, so that their end edges are close to the ends 5 when unfolded and in working position. At their ends the sides are provided with relatively small rectangular extensions 12 which project above the top edges of the sides and are of a size to fit between the ends 5 and the adjacent flanges 8, as shown in Fig. 4. The sides are stiffened and reinforced by flanges 13 extending along the side and top edges and formed by bending the metal over so that said edge portions. are of double thickness.

By reason of this construction it will be seen that to unfold the box the ends must first beunfolded to a vertical position, as shown in Fig. 2, and the sides may then be successively unfolded so that the extensions 12,-vvith suchunfolding,

can pass into placelbetween the ends 5 and the flanges 8. As a matter of fact however this unfolding operation of the ends and one side may take place simultaneously, since it is only necessary to pull up on the uppermost one of the folded sides, which movement of course also raises the ends and in sodoing causesthe extensions 12 to be automatically received in place at the top of the ends. The other side may then of course be similarly raised into position.

The ends cannot then fold downon account of their engagement with the end edges of the sides and of the engagement of the lower edges of the flanges 8 with the top of the sides, nor can they swing beyond a vertical position on account of the engagement of the flanges 8 with the extensions 12. The sides cannot swing outwardly beyond a vertical position on account of their engagement with the side flanges 7 of the ends. To prevent the folding movement of the sides when once they'have been raised to a vertical position, I mount rods 15 along the front of the flanges8 at the bottom, said rods being turnably supported by sleeves 16 formed on said flanges The rods are a little shorter than the width of theendsb and at said ends are. formed with right angle bends 17 forming catches adapted to be turned down when the sidesare unfolded so as to project inwardly .of and below the sides, as

shown in Figs. 1 and 4. I r

To fold the boxit is only necessary to turn the catches up, fold the sides down and then fold the ends down and toward each other until they rest on said sides as shown in Fig. 3. The parts are disposed so that when folded the corresponding hinged sleeves 4 and 6 are horizontally alined with the opposite upper edges of the ends so a box supported thereon has contact with the box below at four points in its length as indicated From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such'deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a deside and end members separately hinged on said 7 plate along its edges. for folding and unfold ing movement, cooperating means between the end and side members and functioning with the raising of the same to hold the end members against any movement and the side members against outward movement when said members are raised to vertical operating positions, rods turnably mounted onthe inner faces of the end members transversely of the box and above the plane of the top of the side members, and catch elements projecting radially from the ends of the rods. and adapted to be turned down, after the sides are raised, so as to lie inwardly'of and below the top of the side members. 7

2. A folding box comprising a bottom plate,

side and end members separately hinged on said plate along its edges for folding and unfoldingmovement, flanges along the top and side edges of the end members disposed in facing relation when said members are raised to a vertical position, flanges dependingfro-m the outer end of the top flanges and extending to the side flanges, the top edges of the side members when unfolded lying just below said depending flanges,

extensions projecting upwardly from 'the side members at their ends tofit between the depending fianges and the end members, and re-- the latter being hinged along the upper edges,

of .said extensions. 1

4. A folding box comprising'a bottom plate, side and end members separately hinged-on said plate along its edges for folding and unfolding movement, the end members when folded lying in superimposed relation to the side members;

extensions on and projecting above the upper edges of the side members at their endsyandflange elements on the end members cooperating with said extensions to hold the end. members against any movement and the side members against further unfolding movement, when said members are raised to a vertical position.

5. A folding box comprising a bottom plate,. side and end members separately hinged along the edges of the bottom plate for folding and unfolding movement, and cooperating means on the side and end members which interlock as such members are unfolded to vertical position and preventmovement of the members beyond ver-;

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